The Hardest Part of Love
by simplyxamazing
Summary: A writing assignment for Claire's English class brings her to finally admit her feelings for Peter.[Paire incest]..One shot


**Disclaimer: **I don't own Heroes, I really wish I did though.

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I looked down at the blank sheet of paper in front of me for about the fiftieth time. For my English class I was supposed to write a paper on what I believed was the hardest part of love. I had been sitting here for thirty minutes, and still hadn't come up with anything. I sighed and started thinking about Peter and wondered what he thought the hardest part of love was. Then I had an idea. I picked up my pencil and began writing.

_**The Hardest Part of Love **_

_**By: Claire Bennett**_

_The hardest part of love is being in love with someone you're not supposed to be. It's wondering how things would've been different if you didn't try and find your biological mom. Then maybe you wouldn't have found out Nathan Petrelli, the brother of the man you're in love with, is your dad. The hardest part of love is going home and crying yourself to sleep for weeks because you knew you weren't allowed to love him. The hardest part is moving in with him a year later and falling harder for him. It's watching different girls walk in and out of his life and pretending not to care. So the façade goes on until finally, after two more years, you decide you've had enough. You go to him and tell him you love him. He smiles and tells you he loves you to, but you know he only says it because you're his niece. Later, you cry yourself to sleep and hate yourself for loving him. So, you try to move on, but it's harder than you thought. You compare every boyfriend to him, and realize that none of them compare. It's him you're in love with, and you doubt that your feelings will ever change. You're stuck in the one place you hoped you would never be, and you're afraid you'll die alone and unloved._

I stopped writing and wiped away the tears that had started to fall. Then, I decided the only way I was going to get over Peter was if I told him I was **in** love with him. I stood up, walked to his room, and knocked on the door.

"Peter?" I asked uncertainly. I heard him walk over to the door before it opened.

"Hi." He said. I smiled.

"Hey." I whispered back and then asked, "Can I talk to you?" he nodded.

"Sure, come in." He opened the door wider and we both walked over and sat down on the bed.

"There's something I have to tell you, and please just listen okay?" I asked him. He nodded.

"Okay." He said. I took a deep breath.

"The day you rescued me, I fell in love with you. I don't know why, I just did. I realized at that point I was too young for you, so I hid my feelings. But then, I found out you were my uncle and I moved in with you. That only succeeded in making me fall harder for you. I know, it's wrong and I tried so hard to move on, but I couldn't. None of my boyfriends came close to making me feel the way I feel about you. So, I finally gave up." I stood up from the bed and walked around until I was facing him.

"What I'm trying to say is that I'm in love with you, and I wish I wasn't, but I am. I know you don't feel the same way, but I just really needed to say it." I felt tears beginning to form. Peter had dropped his eyes to the ground, and wasn't looking up.

"I'm sorry." I whispered and then began to walk out the door.

"Wait." I heard him whisper. I turned around, and he stood up from the bed.

"Why me?" he asked. I shrugged as more tears fell.

"Because you're my hero, remember?" he smiled and moved towards me and then wiped away my tears with the back of his hand.

"And how do you know I don't feel the same way?" he asked. I felt my heart skip a beat. I was too surprised to answer, so he continued.

"But we can't." he said and turned away. "We're-" I cut him off.

"Related?" I asked. He nodded and then reached up to brush my hair back with his hand.

"I do love you." He whispered. I looked down.

"I know. You've told me before." I said. He shook his head.

"No, not like this. I wish-" he paused and then sighed, "I wish things were different, and we could be together. I wish Nathan wasn't your father, but he is and we can't change that. No matter how hard we want to." I dropped my gaze. It was times like these when Peter made me feel younger than I already was. He was always the voice of reason.

"I'm sorry." he said and then leaned towards me and kissed me briefly on the lips.

"Me too." I told him and then turned and walked out. More tears fell as I walked over and picked up the pencil for the second time.

_The hardest part of love is when you finally tell him that you're in love with him, and at first you think he hates you for it. Then, he asks you why you chose him and you reply "because you're my hero". He smiles as if he's remembering all the good times, before you found out he was your uncle. You're surprised when he asks why you think he doesn't feel the same way, and even begin to hope. He says those three words, and you begin to feel happy. And even though you can't and never will be together, you realize for the first time in your life that having his love is enough. And maybe, just maybe, everything will be okay._

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**__**good? bad? review please :)**_


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